Energy

Energy and how it is captured and consumed is barely viable in tar sands production. While the amount of oil in places such as the tar sands in Alberta or the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela may have deposits of similar size to the reserves of countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq, the return of new energy after expending energy in production is not even close. In Iraq, the process of using one barrel of oil generates 100 new barrels. In the tar sands, estimates of 3 to 1 and even as low as 1.5 to 1 have been made. Offsetting the net energy loss would require minimally 25-30 tar sands facilities for one Saudi plant operating at the same capacity.

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Energy and how it is captured and consumed is barely viable in tar sands production. While the amount of oil in places such as the tar sands in Alberta or the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela may have deposits of similar size to the reserves of countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq, the return of new energy after expending energy in production is not even close. In Iraq, the process of using one barrel of oil generates 100 new barrels. In the tar sands, estimates of 3 to 1 and even as low as 1.5 to 1 have been made. Offsetting the net energy loss would require minimally 25-30 tar sands facilities for one Saudi plant operating at the same capacity.

EAST CHICAGO — Michelle BarlondSmith of Battle Creek, Mich., has been living with the aftereffects of the Enbridge oil spill for three years, nine months and 24 days, and her community is still not whole.

Urgent: Enbridge Line 9 Site has been occupied close to Burlington, Ontario this morning

Krystalline Kraus
| May 20, 2014

Early this morning, anti-tar sands activists are currently blockading the access road to an exposed section of Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline. They have pledged to remain on site for, “at least twelve hours, one hour for every thousand anomalies Enbridge has reported to exist on the line.”

The blockaders arrived on site at 7:00 am and began to turn Enbridge Oil employees as they began to arrive for their morning shift.

Special Report: A Canadian family's 'Plan B' to pump tar sands oil
Posted: March 27, 2014

"The genesis of this is really the Keystone XL pipeline, and the continuing political obstacles to getting approval for it," said Frank McKenna, former New Brunswick premier, Irving family friend and vocal advocate of the project.

Tar Sands May Have Caused Sickness That Forced Families From Homes, Canadian Regulator Says

By Emily Atkin
April 1, 2014

Karla and Alain’s Labrecque's children, now living happily and healthily in British Columbia after a year of unexplained sickness in Peace River, Alberta.

Published with permission of Karla and Alain Labrecque

Karla and Alain’s Labrecque’s children, now living happily and healthily in British Columbia after a year of unexplained sickness in Peace River, Alberta. Published with permission of Karla and Alain Labrecque

Is it conventional crude or tar sands? That is the question. And it’s one with high stakes, to boot.

The BP Whiting refinery in Indiana spilled between 470 and 1228 gallons of oil (or is it tar sands?) into Lake Michigan on March 24 and four days later no one really knows for sure what type of crude it was. Most signs, however, point to tar sands.